Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Friday said that a new offer to resume nuclear talks with world powers was "good news."
Iran 's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Friday said that a new offer to resume nuclear talks with world powers was "good news."

The European Union's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who represents world powers in nuclear talks with Iran , Thursday proposed a new round of meetings in Vienna next month.

"From our point of view, October or November is a good time to re-establish negotiations between Iran and the 5+1," said Mottaki, referring to the U.K. , China , France , Russia , the U.S. and Germany .

"I think that is the way--organising some specific and fixed day for starting negotiations", he said.

Mottaki, who flew in to Brussels for a conference on Pakistan , said the proposal to restart the stalemated talks was "good news".

"Usually the diplomats are always optimistic for any positive move forward," he told reporters as he went into the Pakistan meeting.

Dialogue between Iran and the six powers has been stalled since October 2009, when the two groups met in Geneva .

The negotiations aim to address international suspicion that Iran is seeking to develop atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear programme, a charge Tehran vehemently denies.

Ashton, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, suggested the talks take place over three days in mid-November.

The EU diplomacy chief, who has come under fire from Tehran for being inactive in efforts to resume the talks, made the offer "following recent positive indications from Iran" that its top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, was willing to meet, her office said Thursday.

Ashton "hopes Mr Jalili will respond positively and looks forward to constructively engaging with Iran next month", a spokesperson said.

Mottaki said last weekend that Tehran considered late October or early November an appropriate time for a resumption of the talks.

But later this week Tehran blamed Ashton for the deadlock.

"Basically, it seems that the volume of Ms. Ashton's activity is lower," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters Tuesday.

"If she is really eager for negotiations, she should be more active," he insisted, adding that her predecessor Javier Solana was "more active".

"We have announced our readiness for negotiations. But the other side...is not really following up, or is not serious" about resuming the dialogue, he said.

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